Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!
When I think of change, I often think of new things I want - new initiatives, new technologies, new products. It’s easy to be for a lot of things, especially in a capitalist world where the positive impacts are widely speculated, and negative impacts overlooked.
But what about the things we’re not for? Social progress has largely been marked by the dismantling of existing systemic issues: removing barriers to women voting, outlawing unsafe working conditions, banning conversion therapy. Even though new solutions are important, we need to balance it with advocacy on what we want to see less of - e.g. less consumerism, less polluting industries, fewer unnecessary flights, less expansion of fossil fuel initiatives. Aims to disrupt the status quo are always going to have strong resistance from those benefiting from the current system, but this just makes collective action in these areas even more crucial.
Some of the local election candidates understand this need for a real departure from Business As Usual. It’s the last week of local elections - let’s get electing representatives who support decisive, evidence-backed climate action and #VoteClimate!
And finally, a quick welcome to some new subscribers from last Friday’s launch of the Auckland Climate Festival, and from the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment in NZ (thank you Adam Weller for sharing us with your community)!
What can you do today?
The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was the Greenpeace petition to ban ‘badverts’.
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: A Coke-sponsored COP is a cop-out
This week, COP (United Nations climate summit) announced Coca-Cola as a sponsor of COP27! Coke is a company that consistently lobbies against climate policies and pollution prevention schemes. This left us fizzing!
Action: Sign the petition to remove Coca Cola as a sponsor from COP27The President of Vanuatu, Nikenike Vurobaravu, called for governments to pass a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty at last Friday’s UN General Assembly. This would aim to stop all new oil and gas development, phase out existing fossil fuel production, and ensure a just transition for workers, like we did with the 1987 Montreal Protocol for the ozone layer.
Action: Endorse a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Jack of all trades, master of carbon
The Ministry for the Environment have proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) limits and price control settings. It’s meant to make it more expensive for large businesses to emit carbon, but because of how technical it is, submissions are mostly by industry & corporate lobbyists who want the ETS to stay weak. We’ve worked with some amazing experts to pull together a submission guide for you to have your say.
Action: Submit using the template on the changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme by 6 October
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: We promise it’s the last time we mention voting for at least a week
It’s your last week to vote! Who represents us at local government will determine how easy and equitable our transition to a low-carbon economy will be - and who’s in government depends on us!
Action: Vote for local representatives who will act urgently on the climate crisis with our Local Election Guide.Tāmaki/Auckland: Join James Shaw and Chlöe Swarbrick this Thursday evening as they discuss what needs to be done for a safe, sustainable, healthy future for Tāmaki Makaurau and the planet.
Action: Attend a climate kōrero with James Shaw and Chloë Swabrick
In case you missed it!
Public submissions on the future of inter-regional passenger rail close this Thursday 6th October. Check out Save Our Trains’ submission guide and/or read their short blog on Greater Auckland.
Our Auckland Climate Festival event: An Evening of Climate Wins” is next Thursday 13th October! It’ll feature panellists India Logan-Riley, Emma McInnes (Women in Urbanism), Pok Wei Heng (Sustainability @ EY), poetry by Jessie Puru, music by Ema Barton (Songwriters 4 Climate Action), interactive stations, and yummy kai!
Wins!
A week ago, a group of eight Torres Strait Islanders succeeded in a landmark climate case! A UN committee found that Australia had violated the human rights of the indigenous group by failing to adequately protect them from the impacts of climate change, such as by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this talk by Jenny Odell, a precursor to her book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. Related books we’d recommend include Less is More, Winners Take All, and Doughnut Economics.
See you next week,
Dhanya, Emily, and Jenny from the Climate Club